A Brand New Lunchbox
3/16/2016

Not long ago, kids opened their lunch boxes to find bologna sandwiches and cream-filled snack cakes. But today’s Millennial moms are selecting healthier, more nutritious foods for their children. In fact, a whopping 75% of Millennial moms believe the lunches they pack for their own kids are more nutritious than those their own moms packed for them! What changed? Researchers found that 71% of moms are choosing more nutritious foods and 37% were opting for organic products, but beyond that, 48% of women were selecting different food brands than their moms.

“Fifty-three percent of Millennials already have children and these new parents are prioritizing a healthy diet,” explains Andrea Van Dam, CEO of Women’s Marketing. “Instead of choosing their mother’s brands, they’re seeking out emerging brands whose values are aligned with their own,” Van Dam says.Researchers asked women which better-for-you foods they considered healthy and were offering to their children and found products from newer brands such as Skinny Pop, Bear Naked, and Eden Organic alongside Kraft, Nabisco, and Pepperidge Farm. “Just a few years ago, you would not have seen emerging brands in the top ten,” Van Dam says, “This is where the innovation and growth is in the category,” predicts Van Dam.

Access to information has made it easier for new brands to break through. “Women are educating themselves. They’re talking to other moms, reading product reviews, and connecting on social to learn about new products,” Van Dam explains. “Researchers tell us that moms mention brands an average of 73 times per week. When we see studies that say that 79% of women learn about brands through word-of-mouth and almost 60% are influenced by online reviews and social media, it’s clear that this is an important place brands should be connecting with moms.”

Despite Millennial moms’ digital devotion, the study found they still prefer shopping for groceries in supermarkets (88%), big-box retail stores (81%), and local farmer’s markets (42%) rather than online, and believe nutrition is more important than price when it comes to shopping for food for their children’s lunch boxes. “Even if they’re not buying food online, 51% of Millennial moms use their smartphones in-store to search for recipes, providing an ideal opportunity for brands to reach them at their moment of need,” advises Van Dam.

Brands that wish to earn a place in the lunchboxes of America’s kids must appeal to their health- conscious moms, but breaking through in a crowded category can be challenging. Women’s Marketing offers emerging brands the expertise to stand out and be heard. Contact us today to learn how we can optimize your media plan and connect you to your core consumer.

Andrea Van Dam

Women’s Marketing is the leading media strategy, planning, and buying organization for emerging and high-growth brands. We offer a deep understanding of how women consume, engage, and take action with media, with unmatched expertise in beauty, health, fashion, food, and beverage. Every Women’s Marketing client enjoys the benefits associated with the significant purchasing scale we achieve through the vast network of companies we serve and our strong relationships with global media leaders.

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